How to find criticism of an author's work
1. Look for books
To find books which discuss an author's work, do a SUBJECT SEARCH under the author's last name. Particularly useful books may be found under the subheading CRITICISM AND INTERPRETATION, for example:
See also:
University of Toronto Library Catalogue, Subject search
AUSTEN JANE 1775-1817 CRITICISM AND INTERPRETATION
For criticism of a particular novel, do a SUBJECT SEARCH under the author's name followed by the title of the novel, for example:
AUSTEN JANE 1775-1817 PRIDE AND PREJUDICE
2. Look for articles
(a) Use a Periodicals Index or Annual Bibliography
To find current criticism, you may want to use journal articles. Periodical indexes or annual bibliographies identify journals which contain articles on particular topics. Start by looking under the author's last name in a recent issue of the index.
- Printed Periodical Indexes and Abstracts
- Article Databases and Indexes (Literature — General)
- Humanities Abstracts
- MLA (Modern Language Association) Bibliography
(b) Use an “Explicator”
"Explicators" list articles and sections of books which interpret the meaning of literary works, often with observations on them, symbolism, and structure. Again, start by looking under the name of the author. In some cases, listing will be further divided by the title of the individual work.
GENERAL
Articles on Twentieth Century Literature
Z6519 P66 Reference
CANADIAN
Annotated Bibliography of Canada's Major Authors
Z 1375 A66 Reference
Bibliographies on Canadian Literature
Available from Reference Librarian
DRAMA
American Drama Criticism
Z 1231 D7 P3 Reference
European Drama Criticism
Z 5781 P2 1977 VUPR
NOVELS
The Contemporary Novel
Z 1231 F4 A34 Reference
English Novel Explication
Z 2014 F5 P26 Reference
POETRY
American and British Poetry
Z1231 P7 A44 1984 Reference
English Poetry, 1660-1800: a guide to information sources
Z2014 P7 M44 1982 Reference
English Poetry, 1900 - 1950: a guide to information sources
Z 2014 P7 A54 1982 VUPR
Poetry Explication
Z 2014 P7 K8 1980 Reference
SHORT STORIES
American Short Fiction Criticism and Scholarship
Z 1231 F4 W43 Reference
20th Century Short Story Explication
Z 5917 S5 W332 1992 Reference
(c) Use a Bibliography on Your Author
A Bibliography is a book which lists sources of information on a topic. A bibliography on an author will often list books and articles which discuss his/her work. To find these bibliographies, do a SUBJECT search in the UofT Catalogue looking under the author's name with the subheading BIBLIOGRAPHY, for example:
See also:
University of Toronto Library Catalogue
AUSTEN JANE 1775-1817 BIBLIOGRAPHY